Utility clamp assembly



Dec. 15, 1964 B. w. SWANSON 3,161,393

UTILITY CLAMP ASSEMBLY Filed Aug. 9, 1963 FIG. 1

Fl 6. 2. I m 3 3 /2 O d I l 2o. 1 28 1/ I 28 22 2s K I 1 u f F76. 3 Q M 70 Icy- I '23 F7 G. Q. J 27 24 INVENTOR. 5/902 40. SWANSOM United States Patent 3,161,393 UTILITY CLAMP ASSEMBLY Bror W. Swanson, 81 Rurnford St., West Hartford, Conn. Filed Aug. 9, 1963, Ser. No. 301,084 2 Claims. (Cl. 248-113) This invention relates to a utility clamp assembly.

An object of the present invention is to provide a utility clamp assembly which is capable of supporting a tool from a wall surface.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a utility clamp assembly which lends itself to ready attachment to and detachment from a wall surface.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a utility clamp assembly which enables a handled tool to be pendantly supported from a wall surface. v

A still further object of the present invention is to provide a utility clamp assembly which is simple in structure, highly efiicient in action, and commercially feasible.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the utility clamp assembly according to the present invention in use upon a wall surface and pendantly holding the handle of a tool.

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged front view of the utility clamp assembly and the associated handle of FIGURE 1, the fullline showing indicating the normal or inoperative position of the clamp assembly, and the dotted-line showing indicating the use or operative position of the clamp assembly.

FIGURE 3 is an end view of the assembly of FIG- URE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a side elevational view of the assembly of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral generally designates a utility clamp assembly according to the present invention, the assembly comprising a fiat mounting plate II which has front and rear faces. The mounting plate 11 is adapted to be disposed so that the rear face abuts against a wall surface. Means embodying spaced holes 12 are on the mounting plate 11 for receiving securing means to attach the plate 11 to a wall surface when positioned so that the rear face abuts against the wall surface. As shown in FIGURE 1, the mounting plate 11 is disposed so that its rear face abuts against the wall surface 15, and the plate is secured to the wall surface 15 by means of securing elements 16 extending through the holes 12 and engaging the wall surface 15.

An abutment 17 is at one end of the mounting plate 11 and projects perpendicularly from the front face of the plate. A saddle 18 is on the front face of the plate 11 and is located adjacent the lower side of and between the ends of the plate 11.

An arm 20 arranged in an upwardly-sloping direction is disposed upon the front face of the mounting plate 11 so that it releasably engages the saddle 18 with a lower end adjacent the other end of the plate 11 and the upper end 22 inwardly of and spaced from the abutment 17. An up,- right 23 is on the upper end 22 of the arm 2t). Circumposed about the upright 23 is a resilient shoe 24.

Horizontal pivot means embodying a horizontal pivot pin 25 carried by and projecting from the front face of the mounting plate 11 and on which is rockably supported the lower end 21 of thearm 26 connects the lower end 21 of the arm 20 to the mounting plate 11 for pivotal movement of the arm 20 from the upwardly-sloping direction position and engaging the saddle 18, the full-line position shown in FIGURE 2, to an elevated upwardly-sloping direction position and out of engagement with the saddle 18, the dotted-line showing in FIGURE 2.

Spring means is operatively connected to the pivot pin 25 and the arm 20, such means embodying a coil spring 26 circumposed about the pivot pin 25 and having one end connected to the pin, as at 27, and having the other end connected to the arm 20, as at 28. This spring means acts to urge the arm 20 to the upwardly-sloping direction position and in engagement with the saddle 18.

In operation, with the arm 20 in its upwardly-sloping direction position and engaging the saddle 18, the full-line position of FIGURE 2, a handle 30 of a tool is inserted between the shoe 24 and the abutment 17, followed by the application of manually upwardly-directed force to the inserted handle, causing the arm 20 to shift to its elevated sloping-direction position and out of engagement with the saddle 1-8, the dotted-line position of FIGURE 2, and upon release of the manually-applied directed force resulting in the shoe 24 and the abutment 17 to pendantly hold therebetween the handle 30.

Upon application of a manually-applied upwardlydirected force to the handle 36 pendantly held between the shoe 24 and the abutment 17, followed by the application of a manual pulling force away from the mounting plate 11, causes release of the handle 30 and permits the arm 29 to return from its elevated upwardly-sloping direction position and out of engagement with the saddle 18, the dotted-line showing of FIGURE 2, to its upwardly-sloping direction position and in engagement with the saddle 18, the full-line showing of FIGURE 2, under the action of the spring means or coil spring 26.

The utility clamp assembly of this invention is capable of pendantly supporting handles of tools of a wide variety of diameters. Also, the handles of tools that may be supported in this clamp assembly are those such as brooms, shovels, rakes, hoes, Ping-pong paddles, tennis rackets, pool cues, hammers, chisels, and the like.

What is claimed is:

1. A utility clamp assembly comprising a flat mounting plate having front and rear faces and adapted to be disposed so that the rear face abuts against a wall surface, means on said plate for receiving securing means to attach said plate to a wall surface when positioned so that the rear face abuts against a Wall surface, an abutment at one end of said plate and projecting perpendicularly from the front face of said plate, a saddle on the front face of said plate and located adjacent the lower side of and between the ends of said plate, an arm arranged in an upwardly-sloping direction disposed upon the front face of said plate so that it releasably engages said saddle with the lower end adjacent the other end of said plate and the upper end inwardly of and spaced from said abutment, an upright on the upper end of said arm, horizontal pivot means connecting the lower end of said arm to said plate for pivotal movement of said arm from the upwardlysloping direction position and engaging said saddle to an elevated upwardly-sloping direction position and out of engagement with said saddle, and spring means operatively connected to said pivot means and said arm for urging the arm to the upwardly-sloping position and in engagement with said saddle, said arm upon insertion of a handle of a tool between its upright and said abutment followed Patented Dec. 15, 1964 U by the application of a manually upwardly-directed force to the inserted handle causing the arm to shift toward its elevated sloping direction position and out of engagement with said saddle and upon release of said manuallyapplied directed force resulting in the upright and abut- 5 ment to pendantly hold therebetween said handle, and upon application of a manually upwardly-directed force to the hande pendantly held between the upright and abutment followed by the application of a manual pulling force away from said plate causing release of said handle and permitting said arm to return to its upwardly-sloping di- 4 rection position and in engagement with said handle under the action of said spring means.

2. The utility clamp assembly according to claim 1 wherein said upright is surrounded by a resilient shoe.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 586,238 King July 13, 1897 1,736,290 SchilT Nov. 19, 1929 2,550,956 Biery May 1, 1951 

1. A UTILITY CLAMP ASSEMBLY COMPRISING A FLAT MOUNTING PLATE HAVING FRONT AND REAR FACES AND ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED SO THAT THE REAR FACE ABUTS AGAINST A WALL SURFACE, MEANS ON SAID PLATE FOR RECEIVING SECURING MEANS TO ATTACH SAID PLATE TO A WALL SURFACE WHEN POSITIONED SO THAT THE REAR FACE ABUTS AGAINST A WALL SURFACE, AN ABUTMENT AT ONE END OF SAID PLATE AND PROJECTING PERPENDICULARLY FROM THE FRONT FACE OF SAID PLATE, A SADDLE ON THE FRONT FACE OF SAID PLATE AND LOCATED ADJACENT THE LOWER SIDE OF AND BETWEEN THE ENDS OF SAID PLATE, AN ARM ARRANGED IN AN UPWARDLY-SLOPING DIRECTION DISPOSED UPON THE FRONT FACE OF SAID PLATE SO THAT IT RELEASABLY ENGAGES SAID SADDLE WITH THE LOWER END ADJACENT THE OTHER END OF SAID PLATE AND THE UPPER END INWARDLY OF AND SPACED FROM SAID ABUTMENT, AN UPRIGHT ON THE UPPER END OF SAID ARM, HORIZONTAL PIVOT MEANS CONNECTING THE LOWER END OF SAID ARM TO SAID PLATE FOR PIVOTAL MOVEMENT OF SAID ARM FROM THE UPWARDLYSLOPING DIRECTION POSITION AND ENGAGING SAID SADDLE TO AN ELEVATED UPWARDLY-SLOPING DIRECTION POSITION AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SADDLE, AND SPRING MEANS OPERATIVELY CONNECTED TO SAID PIVOT MEANS AND SAID ARM FOR URGING THE ARM TO THE UPWARDLY-SLOPING POSITION AND IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SADDLE, SAID ARM UPON INSERTION OF A HANDLE OF A TOOL BETWEEN ITS UPRIGHT AND SAID ABUTMENT FOLLOWED BY THE APPLICATION OF A MANUALLY UPWARDLY-DIRECTED FORCE TO THE INSERTED HANDLE CAUSING THE ARM TO SHIFT TOWARD ITS ELEVATED SLOPING DIRECTION POSITION AND OUT OF ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID SADDLE AND UPON RELEASE OF SAID MANUALLYAPPLIED DIRECTED FORCE RESULTING IN THE UPRIGHT AND ABUTMENT TO PENDANTLY HOLD THEREBETWEEN SAID HANDLE, AND UPON APPLICATION OF A MANUALLY UPWARDLY-DIRECTED FORCE TO THE HANDE PENDANTLY HELD BETWEEN THE UPRIGHT AND ABUTMENT FOLLOWED BY THE APPLICATION OF A MANUAL PULLING FORCE AWAY FROM SAID PLATE CAUSING RELEASE OF SAID HANDLE AND PERMITTING SAID ARM TO RETURN TO ITS UPWARDLY-SLOPING DIRECTION POSITION AND IN ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID HANDLE UNDER THE ACTION OF SAID SPRING MEANS. 